Toeless rail joint bar



June 30, 1931'. J. N. MEADE TOELESS RAIL JOINT BAR Filed Aug. 13. 1929 glwvwtow (Jbhn NMeade Patented June 30, 1931 U ITED stares ,m m-oFm- 1-... mmm

- JOHN NELSON MEAIDE, or nrnvnn, conenano, nssreNon To THE RAIL oiNr COM- PANY, on NEW roan, N. 33., A eonronarzon on NEW YORK- 7 TOELEVSS RAIL oiNr BAR Application filed August 13, 192,

This invention relates to rail joints, and has particularly in view to provide a novel combination of features in the construction and mounting of a rail joint intended to overcome certain objections to rail joints produced in accordance with, present practice.

An important purpose. of the invention is to provide a rail joint in which the joint bar has its base so related to the base of the rail as to provide a novel seating of the bar, effectively eliminating the possibility of the latter being drawn into operative engagement with the rail in a canted position, thus to avoid imperfect joints likely to become fractured or broken either by tightening of the joint bolts or when the joint is subjected toload, as sometimes happens by the use of ordinary joint bars having no provision to guard against same being applied to a rail in a canted position. l r

Another important purpose of the invention is to provide a rail joint in which the joint bar has its inner lower corner rounded for engagement with the 'base filletr of the rail, whereby the load transmitted through the bar to the base of the rail will largely be taken by the central portion of the rail f base where same is of maximum weight and strength, thus to diminish strain. on the base flange of the rail towards itsrelatively weaker free edges. Also by reason of this novel construction and arrangement, the under face of the base of the bar may be channeled or recessed so that a two pointcontact of the base of-the bar with the. base of the rail is provided, thereby minimizing wear on the base of the rail. v 1 1 I With a construction and arrangement as indicated, it is conteinplatedthat the wear between the base of the bar and the base of the rail will approximately equal-the wear between the head of the bar and the head of the rail,so that the two point contact of the base of the bar with the base of the rail will be maintained despite adjustments of the bar to compensate for wear." However, should the wear-at the head of the bar be greater than at-its base, the present construction is designed to permit the bar to ful- Serial No. 385,487.

crum about its contact with the base fillet ofthe rail to exerta lifting wedging action against the head of the rail tomaintain same high and avoid lipped rail ends.

With the foregoing and other purposes in view, the invention consists in 'the'novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims. I

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote correspondingparts in the separate views l s Figure 1 is a transverse section through a rail joint embodying the novel features of the invention, showing the normal relation to the bar of the rail; and

'l-Higure 2is view similar to Fig; 1 showingthe relation of the'bar to the rail following ti htening of the bar-to compensate for greater wear at thehead than at'the base of the bar. I i Y Referring to the drawings in detail, Rdes ignates the rail, consisting, asusua-l, of the head 10, the Web 11' and the base 12. y In the. present instance said'rail is illustrated as of the standard type, inclusive of a flat fish ing surface 18 on the under facefofthe head thereof and a fillet 11 with a curvedor round: ed outer face, at the junction of theweb 11 with the base'lQ. As will become more fully apparent hereinafter, however, said rail may be of the type in which no fiat fishing surface is provided on the underside of its head, since its only essential, insofar as the pres ent joint isconcerned, is that it be inclusive, in addition to the usual head, web'and base, of the base fillet 14L. .v V

-The present joint bar B is of novel design in that in its areferred form herein illustrated, it is toeless, inclusive of ahead fishing surface 15 for fishing en 'ageinent with the 1 head fishing surface 13 of the rail, and formed at its inner lower corner witha transversely rounded rib 16 for engagement with the base fillet 1 1 of the rail. 1 By reason of this construction, the practical impossibility of applying the bar to the rail in a canted position is apparent. If the head of the bar is engaged with the head of the rail in advance of the base of the bar being engaged with the base of the rail, tightening of the joint bolts will result in the rib 16, due to its transverse rounded form, riding inward on the upper face of the base of the rail until it finds its seat against the base fillet let of the rail. If, on the other hand, the base of the bar is engaged with the base of the rail in advance of the head of the bar being enga ed with the head of the rail, again the rounded construction of the rib 16 will enable the'barto ride downwardly and outwardly against the rail when the joint bolts are tightened until the rib 16 finds its seat against the base fillet 14.- of the rail and the head fishing surface of the bar isin fiatsurface engagement with the fiat rail head fishing surface 13.

As previously intimated herein it is not essential'that the bar B have head contact with the under face of the head of the rail. In view of theforegoing it is believed this is apparent, since, obviously, substantially the same beneficial results would flow from the provision of the fulcrum engagement of the bar with the base of the rail if, for example, the bar should be formed to have head clearance from the under -;face of the head of the-rail and loading engagement withthe head fillet of the rail.

It-will further be noted with respect to the present bar that the foot flange 1'? thereof terminates well inwardly of the outer edge of the rail flange. This permits the use of and the full holding power of standard spikes 1S and further permits the use of a standard tie plate 19, the metal ordinarily contained in a bar with a relatively wide footflange and toe being embodied in the present bar in a wider and deeper" base which enhances the strength of: the bar where strength is needed due to the base contact of the bar with the base fillet of the rail. 7

Relative to the base; contact of the bar with the base fillet of the rail, it is pointed out that this results in I the load transmitted through the bar being taken largely at the center of the rail base, where said base is of greatest weight andstrength,thereby relieving the-base flange of the rail towards its relatively lighter andweaker free edge portions of stresses and strains'likely to cause fracture or breakage thereof. Moreover, this construction and arrangement enables the under face of the foot flange 17 of the bar to be channeled or recessed between its outer edge and the rib 16 as indicated at 20, whereby, instead of the usual surface engagement of the foot flange of anordinary bar witha rail, the present bar has'a' two point contact at its base with the base of the'rail, one pointof contact being at the fillet 14 and the other adjacent to the outer edge of the foot fia-nge 17. Thus, wear on the base of the rail isminimized, and in this connection it is contemplated that the wear at the base of the joint will approximately equal the wear at the head of the joint, so that the two point contact of the bar with the base of the rail will be maintained when the bar is tightened to compensate for wear. Should the wear at the head of the joint exceed that at the base of the joint, however, the contact of the rounded rib f 16 with the base fillet 14 of the rail will enable the bar to fulcrum about said'contact so that the top of the bar may be drawn inwardly.

It is proposed to give the outer nut engaging surface of the bar a slight initial slope downwardly and inwardly as indicated in the drawings --so that-fulcruming of the bar'to compensate for greater wear-at the head than at the base of the'joi-nt will result in the nut engaging surface of the bar first approaching and then rece ding froma plane perpendicular to the axes of the joint bolts, thus to minimize bending strains on the bolts.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to 1 those skilled in the art,-and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing fromthe spirit of. the inventioniiand scope of cheappended claims.

I claim i -1.-In a rail joint, the rail, and a joint bar adapted to have fulcrum' engagement with the base fillet of the rail, and adjustable fishing engagement with the head of the rail.

52. Ina rail joint, the railyand ajoint bar adapted to have adjustable head contact with the underside of the head of the rail, and

fulcrum contact with the base' fillet of the r rail. g

3. In a rail joint, the rail, and a joint bar inclusive of a transverse medial portion having clearance from the upper faceof the base of the rail, and base contactwith the upper K face'of the-base of the rail inwardly and outwardly-of said medial clearance portion.

4. In arail joint, the rail, and a joint bar adapted to have'fulcrum engagement with the base fillet of the railza-nd basecontact with the upper face of the rail flange outwardly of the rail fillet. I

5. In a rail joint, the rail,-and a joint bar adapted to have'head fishing contact with" the under face of the head 0f the rail, contact at its base'withthe upper face of the base of the rail, and fulcrum engagement with the base fillet of therail.

--6. In a rail joint, the rail, and a. joint bar provided :at its inner lower corner with a transversely rounded rib adapted to seat against the base fillet of the rail, said barbeing inclusive of 'a foot flange formed 1 for engagement adjacent to its outer edge with the upper face of the rail flange and between its outer edge and said rib being formed for clearance from the upper face of the rail flange.

7. In a railroad rail joint, a rail having a base flange fillet, a splice bar whose base is socketed against the rail in the fillet, and a fastening device holding the splice bar in place against the rail and with use drawing the head of the bar further beneath the head of {he rail to better support the head of the ral 8. In a railroad rail joint, a rail, a splice bar whose base is socketed against the rail near the web and is held by the socketing against lateral movement at the socket, and

whose head engages with the under surface of the head of the rail and is adapted to wedge thereunder to take up wear, and a fastening device holding the splice bar in place against the rail.

9. In a railroad rail joint, a rail having a web and a base flange, a splice bar socketed in the oint between the web and flange and engaging with the under surface of the head of the rail, and a fastening device rigidly positioning the splice bar against the rail and with use drawing the head of the bar further beneath the head of the rail to better support the head of the rail.

10. The method of preventing vertical rocking of the rail in a rail joint including splice bars which consists in holding the bases .of the splice bars against lateral distortion and efi'ecting the adjustment of the bars for wear under the rail head.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

JOHN NELSON MEADE. 

